McCain: The people behind the “defund ObamaCare” strategy must be held “accountable”

posted at 3:21 pm on October 11, 2013 by Allahpundit

The key bit comes at the very end, in response to a question about who’s responsible for the temporary suspension of death benefits to families of fallen troops. McCain’s answer: Everyone in Congress — but, implicitly, especially the “defund” caucus. You can tell how eager Maverick was to make that point by how quickly he turns a segment about the administration giving short shrift to the military — normally an easy lay-up for a Republican against a Democratic president — into a lament about Cruz et al. I’m not sure a guy who’s positioned himself as the lead Republican opponent of the “wacko birds” should be ruminating on holding people accountable, but if he’s leaning towards not running again in 2016, he’s got nothing to lose. No doubt he’s enjoying sticking it to tea partiers immensely.

Tea Party Republicans approve of the job congressional Republicans are doing by a 72%-25% margin. However, a plurality of NON-Tea Party Republicans disapprove by a 49%-42% In addition, 69% of Tea Party Republicans believe the GOP is demonstrating strong leadership and standing up for what they believe in, versus 29% of them who say they’re putting their political agenda ahead of what’s good for the country. But those numbers are reversed among NON-Tea Party Republicans — 53% say they’re putting politics first, while 41% think Republicans are standing up for what they believe in. And then there’s this: Among Tea Party Republicans, Ted Cruz has a 52%-4% fav/unfav rating. But among non-Tea Party it’s 13%-23%.

Either that rift is healed in the next two years or the primary campaign in 2015 is going to be … really something. One question for the “defund” supporters, though: If this really was about trying to build consensus in Congress to stop O-Care, why is Mark Begich claiming that none of the defunders ever met with him to pitch him on joining them in voting no? He’s a red-state Democrat who’s up for reelection next year; it’s unlikely that he’d break ranks with his caucus, but if any Dem is going to, it’s one who’s in Begich’s position. Instead, he claims, “The only time Ted Cruz said something to me was when I was literally coming to the floor, you know the two tables down by the desk there where you cast your vote. He said, ‘You should vote for this.’ That was it.” Could be that Begich is lying, of course, but if he’s going to lie, there are more self-serving lies he could tell than that one. E.g., “I have grave concerns about ObamaCare, and Senators Cruz and Lee begged to meet with me about them. But once they threatened to shut down the government, I told them ‘Hell, no!'” A lie along those lines would please Alaska GOPers by signaling his alleged “concerns” about O-Care and Alaska Democrats by punching Cruz and Lee. And showing that he was opposed to the shutdown would please both. Instead, he’s making the lesser claim that no one on the defund side ever tried to meet with him. That makes me think it’s true, and if it’s true, why is it true? What did defunders have to lose by feeling him out to see what he’d need to conceivably vote with Republicans against Reid’s amendment stripping the “defund” provisions out of the House bill? Remember, Reid could have lost as many as three Democrats on that and still passed it by simple majority, so he might have let Begich cross the aisle in order to protect himself with reddish Alaska voters. Why not try?

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One question for the “defund” supporters, though: If this really was about trying to build consensus in Congress to stop O-Care, why is Mark Begich claiming that none of the defunders ever met with him to pitch him on joining them in voting no?

Because it’s not about “building consensus.” It’s about ensuring that they have no other choice — something which is far easier to accomplish when your own side isn’t selling you out.

McCain is worse than “fundamentally flawed” in the political sense. There has always been something very wrong with his character, which is one of extreme “me-first-and-only” self-entitlement. He was wrongfully admitted to the Naval Academy with bad grades ahead of more qualified applicants because his daddy and granddaddy were admirals. Rules that apply to ordinary people don’t apply to him. He thumbed his nose at Annapolis because he couldn’t be kicked out or flunked out, because he was JOHN MCCAIN, son and grandson of ADMIRALS. He ignored orders and crashed planes, because he couldn’t be disciplined as the son and grandson of admirals. He ditched the wife who stood by him, when he wanted a rich blonde chick young enough to be his daughter, who could finance his political ambition.

He was caught taking bribes to his wife from the Keating 5, so tried to cover his tracks by imposing the McCain-Feingold nonsense on everyone else (laws only apply to everyone else, not to JOHN MCCAIN). He entertained a blonde lobbyist in ways that worried his staff, and improperly pressured the FCC for her in exchange for …., because he is JOHN MCCAIN!!!!!!. He yelled obscenities at other senators who questioned ramming his McCain-Kennedy amnesty through the Senate in the dead of night without debate, and screamed he knew more about it than anyone else – because he is JOHN MCCAIN, a legend in his own mind !!!!!! He has had secret no press allowed meetings to praise Mexico as our dearest friend and closest neighbor, calling enforcement of the laws “Rhetoric”.

As president, McCain, like the man he helped elect. Barack Obama, would have tried to rule by fiat and would make Hugo Chavez look like George Washington. Like the Alice in Wonderland Queen of Hearts, if any GOP congresscritter disagreed with him “OFF WITH HER HEAD- I’m JOHN MCCAIN, KING OF THE UNIVERSE!!!” There has always been something consistently very wrong with McCain’s character. Through it all, this lying unreliable self-aggrandizing megalomaniac poses as a “straight talker”, and is so sick, he probably believes it himself, because he is JOHN MCCAIN !!!!!!!!!!!!, son and grandson of ADMIRALS.

McCain was on FOX News just a few minutes earlier today but in those few minutes, he managed to smear Mitt Romney while claiming he’d somehow “saved” the nation from “Romneycare” and the rest of his remarks were aimed at the Bad Republicans (my words for the target of his hostilities).

McCain has never looked any more like a simpleton than he does today or did in this latest appearance.

It very well MAY be true/accurate that no defunding of Obamacare could ever occur given the current configuration of party number differential in Congress, that very well may be true. But McCain seizes on every single effort by Republicans (and anyone else except if they’re Democrats) to formulate energy or group cohesion around a cause to win. Count on McCain to appear with his flags of negativity to accuse and exercise contempt for Republicans, the Right, Conservatives especially, anyone who isn’t Leftwing, apparently.

McCain’s personality is a bitter one. He’s afflicted with petty jealousies and his frail ego never ceases to show up when it can draw the greatest attention to itself/him by maligning anyone he perceives — ON THE RIGHT — as “competition”.

This was never about building consensus. No one should have ever believed that. Cruz puts on a great show – the more smoke you blow up his skirt the more he twerks – but I really can’t point to anything he’s done that communicated consensus building over implacability.

What did defunders have to lose by feeling him out to see what he’d need to conceivably vote with Republicans against Reid’s amendment stripping the “defund” provisions out of the House bill? Remember, Reid could have lost as many as three Democrats on that and still passed it by simple majority, so he might have let Begich cross the aisle in order to protect himself with reddish Alaska voters. Why not try?

Because this is not about winning. It is about fund raising, and self-aggrandizement.

Allah is convinced there was never a pathway to defund/delay/repeal Obamacare. He irrationally clings to a false premise. If the house were ever to grow a spine and hold the line; they may have been successful in pressuring the Senate to vote up/down on Ocare delay. This was a highly reasonable option. Manchin publically endorsed the idea. Reid alone blocked its vote in his senate. Several dem senators (at least 8) would have been hard pressed to say no. I don’t believe Obama would veto in light of that immense pressure. There was a pathway, but it requires the Rs to stand on principle; I guess it won’t ever happen.

There’s no scenario where Democrats have “no other choice.” They can choose to let the shutdown play out and see where the chips fall politically, to build pressure on one party or the other.

If this is a simple matter of the GOP holding together and getting what they want, why not hold out for Obama’s resignation?

Allahpundit on October 11, 2013 at 3:33 PM

The scenario in which Democrats would have no other choice would be to force the country into default — using their metaphor, to shoot the hostage. That’s why the shutdown was supposed to be used as an opening salvo indicating seriousness about the debt ceiling.

As soon as they started trying to make the debt ceiling about spending rather than Obamacare, they started sacrificing their position, and now it sounds like they’ve completely given their leverage away.

You don’t have to be psychic to know that the Child-King Obama was never, ever going to sign a law that did away or delayed his signature “achievement”. I mean the SOB wouldn’t find anyone at fault for Benghazi because it would make him look bad. He would never sign on to kill Obamacare. The GOP’s best hope was to start, and stay with, a year delay in the individual mandate and device tax revoke. Totally defensible for the GOP and Barry is stuck having to explain why he treats corporations different than people. Yes that was the last offer from the GOP. But since it was the 3rd or 4th people can be partially honest and say the GOP shutdown the government over defunding Obamacare.

And McCain you have to be held accountable for not letting Sarah go after Obama in ’08. And by the way if Obamcare is so terrible and is going to be a big failure who will be hurt? THE AMERICAN PEOPLE that’s who! But you jerks want it to take effect and be a train wreck while you jerks in DC can go to the best of doctors, hospitals on OUR DIME! I’m with CRUZ & SARAH!

No McLame it’s you RINOs that we will hold accountable. His statements just prove how out of touch he is. Retire this buffoon and his buddy Flake and lets see if the people of Arizona can get it right this time.

Perhaps the old codger doesn’t realize the “Fools Errand” for how valuable it actually is– not only was the spotlight shone on Ocare immediately before it’s EPIC FAIL (see: Oct 1st ‘rollout’), but those Republicans in the House and Senate that need to be replaced were ‘outed’ for the squishes and ‘go-along-to-get-along’ types they truly are!.

Since I’m not an expert, but can think of some laws being repealed, I looked this up:

There are several types of repeals.

First, there are partial repeals where a poorly crafted portion of a law causes problems. For example, the onerous 1099 reporting section of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare) was repealed. The rest of the law remains intact so far but that portion was repealed. Another recent example would be how the Patriot Act (2001), the Terrorist Surveillance Act (2006) and the Protect America Act (2007) effectively gutted provisions of the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

Next, there are repeal and replace laws. In some cases, a previous law is explicitly repealed and replaced with another law. In other cases, the law is implicitly replaced and rendered moot without it being formally repealed. This has been done many times. One recent example would be how the Great Depression era Glass–Steagall banking acts were implicitly and explicitly repealed by various acts, most notably the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act of 1999.

And, there have been outright repeals without a replacement. In this situation, a law or regulation is repealed and the act does not contain any replacement law or regulatory authority. One recent example would be the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Repeal Act of 2010. Another example would be the repeal of laws prohibiting private ownership of gold bullion by US citizens. Sodomy and ‘blue’ laws have been another common area where laws have been repealed without replacement.

How are Cruz and Lee going to be held accountable? They were basically just elected in. This is McCain being a hack for his Dem media buddies, and I regret my vote for him in 2008.

mwbri on October 11, 2013 at 3:33 PM

McCain by now is predictable in these statements and when he makes them: his intent continues to appear to be to insult the Right. Something about his personality just can’t stand any confidence among the Right and though he seems to root around to find some timely point to make, respective to when he makes these statements, that is rooted in reality legislatively but is motivated instead by an uglier, personally embittered point of view about the Right (thus, he’ll find something that sounds keyed to the times but are motivated by something bent in his mind about others).

Does he ever speak out when Democrats, Liberals, effect bad times and engage in bad moves?

I never agree with “all” views by every Republican or anyone else. None of us is a clone of another. I do think it’s wrong on a personal level to knock people when they’re making constructive efforts toward a respectable goal. But that seems to be what motivates McCain, to knock any constructive movement on the Right.

The problem with Jackasses like McCain is that they have spent so much time in the Senate that they have lost sight of what it is supposed to so. To them it has become an entity unto itself, separate from the People and the Republic. He strives to be liked and cooperate with his colleagues rather than fight for the Citizens and the Country.

i am so proud of the true conservatives/tea partiers in the House and Senate for keeping up the fight and holding all the old farts’ and obama’s feet to fire. keep going as long as you can…don’t give up

It fails at even that because there is no increased negative consequence to our side even if we did the AP absurd. He assumes we would accept the absurdity of it without thinking about it, but it just isn’t there. There is no reason for Republicans to budge until Reid and Obama are serious about real concessions.

Because this is not about winning. It is about fund raising, and self-aggrandizement.

Mr. Arkadin on October 11, 2013 at 3:34 PM

I always love when this tired old trope is trotted out. “Every single conservative politician is just a fake out to steal your money. You should start supporting humble, modest, hardworking, poor Servants of the People like John McCain!”

Please, I’m begging anyone within earshot of this imbecile to explain to him that the reason he’s so popular on these talk shows is because he gives nothing but aid and confort to the leftwing enemy. CaptFlood on October 11, 2013 at 3:46 PM

He doesn’t need this explained to him, he’s making artful use of this setup!

The people behind the “defund ObamaCare” strategy must be held “accountable”

How about people behind the
” run guns for international drug cartels”
and
” arm alqaeda and muzie brothers to kill Americans” ?
How about holding them accountable for their treason you effing senile fool ? Or your daughter doesn’t approve of that ?

If this is a simple matter of the GOP holding together and getting what they want, why not hold out for Obama’s resignation?

Allahpundit on October 11, 2013 at 3:33 PM

Because that power rests in the Senate. The House can impeach him, but the Senate has to give the punishment.
The power of the purse, on the other hand, rests in the House. We are talking about spending, right? If the House does not authorize spending, it does not happen.